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Experiencing amazing scents and potentially even tasting the tea before making a purchase is a big part of tea buying experience. However, online tea shops are taking over traditional shops. They may not be able to offer an olfactory experience (yet), but they may have some advantages too.

Nowadays, almost any type of the tea in the world is available in only a few clicks. And leaving a credit card details too. But, is it always safe? How to avoid buying bad tea and what are the pros and cons of buying tea online and in traditional shops?

Online tea shops vs. traditional tea shops

1. Scent

Scent can only be experienced in the real shop. Unfortunately, when buying tea online you can only rely on the image, description and reviews from other tea lovers. However, there is a downside of being able to smell the tea too. Sometimes the samples available for smelling may already lost much of its scent and freshness. You might miss out some wonderful teas if the first impression is a weak, dull and flat scent. On the other hand, the scent of some teas might be intense only in a heated teapot.

Winner: Traditional shops, if they pay attention and offer fresh samples.

2. Dry leaf

The visual appearance of the leaves is best experienced in the brick and mortar shop. Online shops need to rely on digital images, that may sometimes make tea look either better or worse. Images may look different on every screen, making it difficult to see the real color. However, overly exposed samples in real shops can lose color quick too.

Winner: Online shop because you will often be pleasantly surprised with the appearance of the leaves once you receive them. Plus, there is that excitement of seeing the tea for the first time.

3. Potential tasting

Some traditional shops offer teas tastings, an impossible thing to do when buying tea online. Usually, only specialized shops offer one-on-one events, while others might have a pot of tea prepared in advance. This rarely allows you to taste the real flavor with all its nuances.

Winner: Online shop, unless you are offered a freshly made cup of tea

4. Shipping

With free shipping options, buying tea online does not only save time, it saves money too. Sometimes packages may get damaged in the post, but this doesn’t happen often. Most online shops have a lot of experience in proper packaging and shipping, so they know how to make sure your tea leaves arrive fresh and unbroken. Actually, there is a higher chance you will crush them in your bag on the way home.

Winner: Fast and safe shipping makes online shopping convenient.

5. Assortment

Online shopping allows you to buy almost any type of tea in the world. Or, imagine going to a traditional shop only to realize your favorite tea is out of stock. That may be truly devastating. Most traditional shops have an online shop too, but the advantage of buying online can be really seen when you want to get that rare, ancient tree pu’erh or a 15 years aged oolong.

Winner: Online shops

6. Freshness

Online shops can store their tea in an optimal environment, without the need to over-expose them. Unless the shop sells small pre made packages, online shops win here.

Winner: Online shops, except shops with teas in closed pre made pouches or boxes.

Image by Leon_Ting

Things to watch out for when buying tea online

1. Shop type

There are many types of online tea shops, which makes buying tea confusing. Some shops might sell only single origin teas, some might blend teas by themselves, while others might sell blends from bigger distributors. Knowing what type of tea you want will make choosing the right shop easy. If you are unsure where to start, try naturally flavored blends and classical teas like Ti Kwan Yin, Silver Needle, Sencha and Dragon Well.

2. Price

If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Although online shops may offer a better price, high-quality loose leaf tea will never be cheap. Even if you stumble upon a 4oz pouch of Ti Kwan Yin for a dollar, it will be far from premium. However, it is possible to buy tea for great prices on sale, especially last years’ harvests.

3. Packaging size

Some tea leaves are bigger than the others. Blends with big chunks of fruit may take less space than Bai Mu Dan. For pure real tea it’s better to choose smaller packages and order more often, while for fruit blends you might want to consider bigger pouches.

4. Ingredients

Read the ingredients list carefully. Some blends might contain ingredients you want to avoid, or might even be allergic to. All online shops always list ingredients for each blend. If you can’t see them, ask. You should know what’s in your tea.

5. Customer support

Check if the online shop is offering customer support or guarantee. In something’s wrong with your tea, good customer support will make the process of online shopping pleasant and carefree.

6. Payment methods

Nowadays, shopping online can be very safe. In most cases, you don’t even need to give your card details directly to the shop, and if you do, only the bank will know them. Check for the green padlock icon next to the URL field of your browser. It’s one of the signs the shop is taking safety seriously.